Harry Potter and the Hall of Redemption
by eaglewing
Summary: Voldemort, giants, dragons and dementors. Just part of the mixed bag of events that comes with the new term as the question arises: what will Voldemort do next? Love, devotio, friendship and of course, redemption.
1. Business as Usual

It had been a surprisingly uneventful summer for Harry. After the tumultuous events of last year, where he came close to losing his life on more than one occasion, he found the dull monotony of living with the Dursleys almost pleasant. Living in Privet Drive left him with little in terms of happy memories as his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley were very open in their distaste for him treating him more like an unfortunate burden than family. As his aunt Petunia was the only blood relative Harry had left, they probably felt obligated to take him in but not without complaining about it almost every day he'd been with them for the past fifteen years.  
  
"Happy fifteenth birthday, Harry," he said to himself as he smiled looking into the mirror. On his eleventh birthday, his whole life had changed. That was when he learnt the truth about himself, his parents and his heritage. He, Harry Potter was a wizard and from then on his life had changed at once for the better and for the worse. He had been immersed in the wondrous world of magic and was no longer unpopular, friendless or poor but at the same time, had had to contend with monsters, evil wizards and unwanted publicity. At least escaping to the Muggle world once in awhile allowed him some respite from his notoriety as the Boy Who Lived. He had never felt any pride at surviving death at the hands of Lord Voldemort, murderer of his parents. His mother, in giving her life up to protect his, had invested in him a magical protection that made the curse hurled at Harry rebound onto Voldemort divesting him of his power. In Harry's eyes, his mother was the real hero for her love had saved him and rid the wizarding world of their biggest threat and enemy.  
  
Voldemort, however, had risen again to his full power and was recalling his former followers, the Death Eaters to his service. Often, as Harry lay on his bed at night, his thoughts wandered to his friends. Were they alright, were they safe, had Voldemort got to them yet? Thanks to some ancient magic used by Dumbledore, his headmaster at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry was safe from harm as long as he was with relatives. He could only hope that his friends and loved ones had taken extra precautions and that he would see them when he got to Hogwarts in a few days.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of three owls, swooping in through the window. "Welcome back, Hedwig!" The beautiful snowy owl chirruped and nibbled at his fingers affectionately. She was carrying a parcel, which upon opening, Harry found a birthday card and fine set of silver-tipped falcon-feather quills from Hermione. The minute owl that had come with Hedwig belonged to his best friend Ron and was hopping around excitedly waiting for Harry to open his delivery. "Alright, hang on a bit, Pig, " Harry took the package shaking his head again at the owl's utterly inappropriate name. Inside was a card from Ron along with a box of assorted tricks and joke items. "Looks like Fred and George have Weasley's Wheezes all set up and running." Ron's twin brothers had planned on opening a joke shop and Harry had been their unexpected benefactor by giving them the thousand galleons he had won in the Triwizard Tournament. His parents having left him a small fortune already, he felt relief at being able to give the money away. He didn't need it anyhow.  
  
The third owl perched, dignified on his bedpost and the Hogwart's crest it wore gave it a further air of refinement. As expected, Harry retrieved from it a letter he knew would detail the books and items he would need for his fifth year at school. As he took the parchment, another smaller, folded piece of paper fell out. Curious, Harry unfolded it and started to read.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
Taking into account events of last term, Hagrid will personally escort you to school and before school starts, take you to Diagon Alley for the usual procuring of your school necessities. I hope you will find it an agreeable arrangement and I trust that you could not be in safer hands.  
  
Hoping you had a pleasant summer,  
  
Prof. Dumbledore  
  
Hoping he would find it agreeable? Harry was overjoyed at the thought! Hagrid was coming to visit him and take him to London so he wouldn't have to suffer the long unpleasant ride to London with his Uncle Vernon. What worried him a little was, how and when he was coming. There was nothing stated in the letter.  
  
"Oy, Harry!" At least, now he knew when.  
  
"Hagrid!' Harry called back to him from his window. He saw the large man standing at the gate of Privet Drive. Thankfully, the Dursleys were out visiting business associates of Uncle Vernon. He came running down to hug his friend. "I wasn't expecting you this early!"  
  
Hagrid chuckled. "It is your birthday after all, Harry. Thought it would be better you spending it elsewhere for a change. Just like that day I came to get you."  
  
"How could I forget, Hagrid?" They shared another laugh before going upstairs to pack Harry's things and put Hedwig in her cage.  
  
"Err, Hagrid, how are we supposed to get to London?" Harry looked apprehensively around as he noticed neither broomstick nor any other means of transportation, magical or Muggle. "Don't see anything, do ya, Harry?" Putting out his hand, Hagrid appeared to lean on something. "Got yer an invisible car, Harry, so you can just put your stuff in the back and it'll get us straight to Diagon Alley." Raising his eyebrows, Harry stared at Hagrid. "Is this allowed, Hagrid? And since when did you learn how to drive?" "Well, Harry, unusual times call for unusual measures and the car drives, or I should say, flies itself so you and me can just sit in the back and catch up on what you've been up ter all summer, eh, Harry boy?"  
  
Hedwig was quite put out at having to be in another flying car. The last time that happened, the car had flown right into a tree giving Ron, Harry and Hedwig a very nasty shock. "We're not gonna be long, Hedwig and I'm sure it's perfectly safe, right, Hagrid?" "Right, Harry, right." Harry fervently hoped he was imagining the uneasiness in Hagrid's gaze.  
  
Thankfully, they arrived in London without incident, and soon Harry was happily chatting with Hagrid as they proceeded to Diagon Alley.  
  
Leaving Gringotts bank after filling up his moneybag with the usual galleons, sickles and knuts, Harry was startled by the sound of two familiar voices.  
  
"Harry! Harry!" It was Ron and Hermione, beaming and waving at him from a corner shop. It was shaping to be the best birthday Harry ever had, with his closest friends by his side and the Dursleys far, far away. After shopping for their school supplies and enjoying sundaes together, Hagrid interrupted their reverie with, "Well, we'd best be going off to school now." "Hogwart's? Now, Hagrid?" The three were flabbergasted and asked question after question before Hagrid finally raised his hand. "Now, now, quiet down. Dumbledore insisted. We thought this was the best way ter keep you safe, keep an eye on you. You weren't expectin' it so neither would they." Silent, Ron, Harry and Hermione nodded their heads, knowing full well who 'they' were.  
  
"Besides, you lot will get to meet the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She'll be meeting us at the station. "  
  
"She?" They all looked at Hagrid with interest, particularly Ron. In their four years at Hogwart's they had never had a female teacher for that subject.  
  
"Yeah, so get a move on. It isn't everyday you have the Hogwart's Express run especially for you." He was soon hustling them out of Diagon Alley and arranging their trunks in the invisible car boot.  
  
After getting the car to take them to the station, they wheeled their things onto trolleys to the usual platform.  
  
"What do you reckon she'll look like, Ron?" Harry looked over to his friend.  
  
"Probably she'll be really, really old. Would be nice if we got a good looking one for a change."  
  
"Really, Ron, would that get you to pay attention in class then?" Hermione rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"Hey, I do pay attention. Some of the time. Unlike you, some people can get on without hanging on to every word the teacher's saying."  
  
Harry could only smile as the two of them launched into another of what he called, lover's spats. They would kill him if they knew, but, honestly, the way they squabbled all the time reminded him of an old married couple the Dursleys had for neighbours.  
  
Ron saw her first. She was standing at the platform in robes of a deep, dark blue, her long black hair falling in soft waves over her back. She looked over her shoulder as she heard them coming and her eyes were large, heavily lashed and as black as her hair. Though she looked a little pale, her skin was a color that reminded him of caramel and looked almost as soft. Her nose was small and rather delicate looking and as she waved to Hagrid, Harry stole a look at Ron and privately declared him hopelessly smitten, or as Seamus would have said, "An absolute goner."  
  
"Ron, you got your wish." Harry nudged his friend, who had gone curiously slack-jawed.  
  
Recognizing the look on Ron's face as the one he usually got around Veela and a certain Fleur Delacour who Ron had had a mad crush on the previous year, Hermione groaned.  
  
"Hagrid!" The woman grasped his hand warmly and lightly pecked him on the cheek.  
  
Blushing darkly, Hagrid turned to introduce her.  
  
"Ron, Harry, Hermione, this is your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Seraphim."  
  
Even while shaking her hand, Ron still wasn't able to shut his mouth.  
  
"Well, Hermione, 'least you don't have to worry about him in her class." Harry whispered in her ear.  
  
She merely snorted in reply.  
  
The five of them shared a compartment, which was a bit of a squeeze what with Hagrid's sheer bulk. Soon they were indulging in small talk with Professor Seraphim who shared with them anecdotes of her time at Hogwarts. Although warm and obviously very chummy with Hagrid, she never smiled. The only hint of one was in her eyes, which would glitter with obvious amusement, especially as she recalled hiding in a broom closet, trying to avoid Filch.  
  
"She was another one who would visit me at the cottage before you three. She's as big a lover of animals as your brother, Charlie, Ron." Hagrid looked over to Ron, oblivious to the boy's trance-like state.  
  
"Uh-huh." Ron was unable to speak a single coherent word the entire time they were on the train. Professor Seraphim gave no hint of noticing Ron's rather peculiar behavior and very pleasantly asked about the various houses, the current holder of the Quidditch Cup and their favourite subjects. In what seemed a very short time, they reached their stop where a carriage was waiting to take them to Hogwarts. When they arrived, Harry felt elation and another feeling he had never experienced at the Durseleys' - that he was finally home. 


	2. Ravens and Snakes

CHAPTER TWO -RAVENS AND SNAKES  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione found to their surprise they actually enjoyed having the run of the school to themselves. They could visit Hagrid at night and wander around after hours since even Filch, the caretaker was away for the summer. They spent pleasant afternoons sipping butterbeer at nearby Hogsmeade, popping down to the kitchens to visit the house elves and exploring the castle grounds. Professor Seraphim was nowhere in sight and except for the small talk they had with her on the train, didn't have much opportunity to talk with her much to the disappointment of Ron who kept stealing furtive glances around the corridors.  
  
The first day of term came swiftly and soon the three along with the rest of their fellow students were in the Great Hall for the start-of-term feast. The sorting had just been carried out where the first years were sorted into one of the four houses: Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Harry clapped and cheered along with the rest of the Gryffindors with each new addition to the table. Ron's eyes however seemed to be glued to the teacher's table where Professor Seraphim was seated next to, of all people, professor Snape who loathed Harry and never missed an opportunity to give Harry or his friends a hard time.  
  
Ron wasn't the only one distracted. Even Malfoy was seen staring raptly in front at the new addition to the teaching staff, prompting Hermione to mutter to Harry, "Now they actually have something in common." If he didn't know better, Harry would have thought that Hermione was acting almost jealous.  
  
Albus Dumbledore then stood up after everyone had eaten. "Before I go on with the notices, now that you are all as stuffed as Christmas turkeys, I say welcome again to our new batch of first-years!"  
  
"Hear, hear!" Plenty of cheers and many poundings of tables later, Dumbledore continued. "First, a reminder to all students that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to any of you as is Hogsmeade to below third years. Also, some applause for our new prefects."  
  
"New prefects? They don't usually announce them, they usually get owls before the term starts." Ron looked slightly excited before his face fell again. "Don't suppose I'll get made one. I don't really want to be one, just, well, it'd make my mum proud." Having had two former head boys as brothers wasn't something that Ron felt comfortable living up to. As if he had heard Ron, Dumbledore went on, "Usually new prefects will be told beforehand but just for a change, I decided to give the announcements after the feast to have the first years have a chance to know who you are first thing. Stand when your names are called. Minerva?"  
  
Professor McGonagall took out a scroll of parchment and began to read out names. Every year, new prefects would be selected from the fifth years, four from each house and normally, owls would be sent to each new prefect during the holidays to inform them of their appointments. It was rather uncommon for the announcement to be made at the start-of-term feast and there was much excitement and anticipation in the hall.  
  
The first name to be announced was Hannah Abbot's.  
  
There were cheers from the Hufflepuff table as their house ghost, the Fat Friar sailed up to her and handed her a prefect badge. The names were in alphabetical order and McGonagall rattled down the list till she came to, "Hermione Granger", where she flashed a rare smile to the student who had consistently held top place in all the exams. Genuinely stunned, Hermione was unable to say a word when Nearly Headless Nick congratulated her.  
  
Even more flabbergasted was Neville Longbottom when his name was announced. "Gran will never believe this." When Draco Malfoy's name was called out, Ron looked decidedly ticked off. "Great, guess who'll be taking off marks from Gryffindor every chance he gets? Snape's little helper." He sank lower in his chair. It would be bad enough not to get chosen but to see the boy whose guts he hated more than anything made it worse. "Harry Potter." Harry was amazed, after all the scrapes he had managed to get into for the past four years, he was being made a prefect? Unbelievable, he thought, but as he looked at Ron, he hoped that they would make Ron one too. After reading out the names of the two last Ravenclaw prefects, McGonagall paused, looking straight at the Gryffindor table."And last, but not least, Ronald Weasley." Harry gave Ron a thump on the back and sighed in relief. He was quite sure he saw Professor McGonagall flash another smile. Two smiles from McGonagall in a day, he must be dreaming.  
  
"Now, for my next announcement I am very pleased to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."  
  
Dumbledore had barely finished talking before the applause started. "Yes, a certainly warm reception for our new teacher, Professor Seraphim.Snape."  
  
The applause died down fairly quickly. The first years were bewildered at the stunned reaction of their seniors as the hall was silent, the students looking from Professor Snape to the new teacher. Dumbledore smiled as he went on. "If you are all wondering, yes, she is professor Snape's sister and also the youngest student ever to enter Hogwarts. At nine years of age, no less, which of course earned her an almost assured place in Ravenclaw." A sudden burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the Ravenclaw table for which Seraphim returned a most engaging smile while the rest of the houses, Slytherin especially, looked glum. Ron only consoled himself with, "Well, at least she isn't in Slytherin."  
  
As Harry looked over at Cho Chang, the pretty Ravenclaw seeker, he was beginning to think that perhaps Ravenclaw favored looks as well as brains. A rather irritable Hermione soon snapped him out of his reverie. Now they were prefects they found themselves walking on either side of the line of Gryffindor students as they marched up to the Gryffindor tower, making sure the first years didn't accidentally stray and get lost, which was very easy to do in the castle. On the way out of the hall, he saw Snape walk off with Seraphim. He still looked the same as ever with that scowl but as Harry watched, his eyes almost seemed to soften when his sister smiled up at him and took his arm as they walked off to the teacher's quarters. Harry resolved to see Madam Pomfrey the next morning to have his eyes checked. Maybe his glasses needed changing for he had certainly never seen Snape's eyes soften towards anyone or anything, even that insufferable pet of his, Malfoy. For now, all Harry wanted was some catching up with his Gryffindor chums and a good night's sleep. 


	3. A Different Kind of Magic

CHAPTER THREE - A DIFFERENT KIND OF MAGIC  
  
Hermione groaned.  
  
"What's wrong, Hermione?" Harry looked at her as they sat for breakfast.  
  
"It's just the schedule. We're still with Slytherin for Care of Magical Creatures and Potions." Sighing, she put her schedule away. "Oh yeah, and Ron? Our very first class, to be held in exactly one hour, is Defense Against the Dark Arts. " Ron merely nodded as he tucked into another heap of sausages.  
  
"With all the trouble we get into, you'd think we wouldn't need to take this subject." Harry joked as they made their way up the stairs to class.  
  
"I wouldn't say that, Harry. What with Voldemort back and ." Hermione trailed off as Harry looked at her pointedly. "It was a joke, Hermione. As if we need reminding of the fact the most evil wizard alive has returned and is probably going to wreak more havoc than he did before. But it's not gonna do any good if we obsess on it, now, is it?"  
  
In a very small voice, Hermione apologized. "Sorry, Harry. I guess I get too serious about everything all the time. "  
  
"I'm sorry, too, Hermione. I didn't mean to snap at you. I know you're worried. So am I, so is everybody. But it won't do any good to get worked up about something we can't fix. If and when the time comes to do something, we will. "  
  
Ron piped in, "And if you two don't get a move on, we're gonna be late for class."  
  
"Omigosh! Ron Weasley worried about being late! Quick, Harry, call up Mungo's, he's finally cracked!"  
  
"Very funny, Hermione." Ron tried looking stern but with Harry and Hermione looking at him as if he had really gone mad, he couldn't help laughing. Their laughter rang in the corridors all the way to class, while passerby's looked on, amused.  
  
Professor Seraphim walked in, clad in rather form-fitting crimson robes. Her hair was piled on top of her head with little curls escaping from the sides, simple, unaffected but still very, very attractive. She wished them a good morning then proceeded to read out their names from a register.  
  
"Nothing like Snape, is she, Harry?" Ron whispered while his eyes remained glued to the front.  
  
As he compared Seraphim's calm, yet cheerful demeanor with Snape's sour and often foul, moody countenance, he had to agree. Yet there was some sort of resemblance in the jet-blackness of their hair and eyes, the slight hook in Seraphim's nose wasn't as pronounced as in Snape's but it was there and their self-assuredness, the almost serpentine grace in her movements, fluid, sleek yet rather, Harry couldn't think of a better word to describe it, slinky. Brother and sister had things in common but they weren't easy to spot.  
  
"So as not to confuse me with my brother, you may address me as Professor Seraphim. It would get confusing to have two professor Snape's." Her eyes were full of merriment as she spoke though her face was unsmiling.  
  
" Well, from what I've gathered, you've learnt a good deal about defense against dangerous creatures and even, forbidden curses? Not conventional in any syllabus but good common sense on the part of Dumbledore. It's best you're prepared to deal with anything and I am here to teach you a branch of magic that is considered dangerous in some quarters."  
  
Intrigued by her last sentence, the class was silent in anticipation of what she would say next.  
  
"I am here to teach you to cast spells, hexes, thing you'd normally do with wands but with one thing missing. Your wands themselves."  
  
Hermione shot up her hand.  
  
"Professor, if we can do magic without them, why do we have wands in the first place?"  
  
Seraphim cocked her head to one side, looking appraisingly at her.  
  
"Very good question, Miss Granger. Excellent, even."  
  
Hermione was trying hard not to look pleased but failed miserably. Instead, she listened eagerly for Seraphim's answer.  
  
"Now, contrary to what some in the magical community would have you believe, all of us, even who you consider absolutely non-magic, meaning Muggles, have some sparks of magic. What makes a wizard or witch is a natural ability to channel the magic that we have into actual physical reality. Wands help us focus that channel on a precise point, object or person."  
  
Walking right up to Ron, she picked his wand up from his desk and handed it to him.  
  
"Put this away. All of you, do so with your wands. At least for this lesson, Mr. Weasley. I assure you, you won't be needing it." As she turned away, Harry noticed Ron's ears threatening to turn as red as his hair. He wouldn't have been surprised if Ron vowed later never to clean his wand again.  
  
"With wands, wizards are more or less equal. Anyone can perform a spell but what makes a person quicker to grasp the mastery of it is only by the difference in personal attributes such as intelligence or sheer, dogged repetition. Even those who call themselves Squibs can learn to do spells and usually do once they've acquired the confidence or the willingness to make the extra effort. Take the wands away, then you've got the true measure of a wizard."  
  
She paused as she spoke, looking at each one in turn. Harry felt cold as she looked at him, as if she could look right down deep into his soul and see everything he thought and every emotion besides.  
  
"Now don't be afraid. I'm not here to judge you. It's a fact of life that there are some wizards more powerful than others, like some are taller, shorter, skinnier - accept that. Just believe that all of you have some ability to do enough magic to protect yourself if you were to be caught without a wand or have it lost or broken. I wasn't chosen to go to Hogwarts early because I was particularly smart but because my magic abilities had come too soon, too quick and I had to learn to reign it in before I hurt myself or anyone else."  
  
A sort of sadness passed quickly over her face. It was over so fast that he might have missed it but Harry recognized that look, a look of deep and utter sorrow. He knew it because that was the same way he felt every time he thought of his parents, knowing that he would never see them alive. Now, however, her face was grave yet calm, betraying no emotion.  
  
"Let's get started now, shall we. We'll start with the disarming spell. No, no wands here either. Pair up, one of you holding any object except a wand. Your partner will try to disarm you with the spell without a wand. It will feel unusual at first but persevere and you will get it. I will observe but feel free to ask questions as you try this out."  
  
Harry and Ron teamed up while Hermione paired with Neville. Looking at Ron, Harry asked, "So, who first?" Ron shrugged. "I'll give it a go." Grabbing a book, Harry stood at the ready in front of Ron.  
  
"Expelliarmus!"  
  
Ron stared in disbelief as the book flew right out of Harry's hand, almost hitting Seamus in the head.  
  
"Harry? Are you sure you didn't will that book out of your hand or something?"  
  
Harry shook his head. He hadn't had a chance to even think of doing anything.  
  
"That was too easy." Ron still couldn't believe that he had done it without feeling as if he hadn't put in any effort. It didn't stop him from trying it a couple more times, both having the same result but with a little more precision, the book only hitting Seamus when Ron willed it to the second time.  
  
Harry gave it a go and found it just as easy as Ron though he decidedly had a little less control as to aim. Hermione wasn't finding it such an easy go. She had made five attempts, so far unsuccessful. Neville asked to have a turn, intending to give Hermione a rest. She (and a very, very, surprised Neville) watched as his first attempt saw the book sail out of her hand swiftly and land neatly on top of the teachers' desk.  
  
"Well done, Mr. Longbottom!" Seraphim clapped excitedly. Neville stammered out a thank you, blushing all the while. Hermione, however, looked completely and utterly dejected. Noticing her disappointment, Seraphim walked over to Hermione, talking with her in a low voice and Harry saw the girl's expression change to one of mirth.  
  
"C'mon, Neville, I need a partner." Resolutely, Hermione faced him.  
  
Smiling, Neville picked up a small notebook. "No, Neville, hold this one." He was rather nonplussed when she passed him her thick Arithmancy textbook. "Expelliarmus!" Later, Harry mused that it was quite spectacular when the book shot up out of Neville's hands like a rocket, circling the classroom before landing with a loud thump on Ron's head.  
  
"OWWWWWWWW! Her - Mi - O -Ne Granger, what the absolute heck did you do that for???"  
  
"I think that's all for today's lesson, class." He may not have seen the laugh but Harry could hear it loud and clear in Professor Seraphim's voice.  
  
Leaving the classroom, Harry and Ron pestered Hermione, curious to know what Seraphim had told her to prompt such a 'performance'.  
  
"Well, she told me that when she started she had problems performing the spell as well and her brother a.k.a Snape was her partner so he was being such a git she imagined the chopstick he was holding up his nose. Let's just say he didn't find Chinese food very attractive after that session."  
  
"Snape with a chopstick up his.that is priceless, Hermione." Harry had to take his glasses off to wipe his eyes, he had been laughing so hard.  
  
"Yeah, I wouldn't mind not doing so great in class if she shared such wonderful family stories with me." Ron chortled.  
  
They then parted ways, Harry and Ron off to Divination while Hermione scooted off to Arithmancy, all feeling they had had a good start to the day. 


End file.
